Sources behind the Book of Ether

Early Jaredite Records

records “brought
1:3; 8:9 Jaredite king list 1:6–33
across the deep”

1:33–3:16; records of the Jaredite royal 6:2–8:18;

3:21–28 brother of Jared history 9:1–12:1

Ether’s 24
Ether’s Writings gold plates
Ether’s account
12:2–5; prophecies 13:13–15:34
of the Jaredite
13:2–12 of Ether
destruction

Moroni’s Mosiah’s
abridgment translation

Moroni’s Commentary
on his abridg-
on faith of the
3:17–20 ment of the 1:1–6
brother of Jared
book of Ether

on sealed
on secret Moroni’s
4:1–6:1 records coming 8:18–26
to light
combinations book of Ether
on faith 12:6–41

Charting the Book of Mormon, © 1999 Welch, Welch, FARMS Chart 15

 Structure
Chart 15

Sources behind the Book of Ether

Key Scripture Ether 1:1–5

Explanation What we now know as the book of Ether originated from early
Jaredite records and Ether’s writings, which Ether combined to
produce his twenty-four gold plates near the end of the Jaredite
civilization. The people of Limhi later found these plates while
searching for the city of Zarahemla, and King Mosiah translated
them around 120 B.C. Moroni later abridged the translated plates
and, together with his commentary, included them in his record,
thus producing the final form of the book of Ether. The seams
between the insertions of Moroni’s comments into the final text of
this book are clearly discernible, with the underlying text resuming
flawlessly after each interruption.

Source John W. Welch, “Sources behind the Book of Ether” (Provo, Utah:
FARMS, 1986).

Charting the Book of Mormon, © 1999 Welch, Welch, FARMS